Carton tear strip arrangement with reclosure feature



2, 1966 P. c. COLLURA ETAL 3,263,899

CARTON TEAR STRIP ARRANGEMENT WITH RECLOSURE FEATURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 25, 1962 Aug. 2, 1966 P. c. COLLURA ETAL 3,

CARTON TEAR STRIP ARRANGEMENT LWITH RECLOSURE FEATURE Filed Oct. 23,1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 g- 1956 P. c. COLLURA ETAL 3,263,899

CARTON TEAR STRIP ARRANGEMENT WITH RECLOSURE FEATURE Filed Oct. 23, 1962(5 Sheets-Sheet :5

United States Patent 3,263,899 CARTON TEAR STRIP ARRANGEMENT WITHRECLOSURE FEATURE Peter C. Collura, Waltham, and Robert M. Hurley,Lexington, Mass., and Morton H. Robinson, Devon, Pa., assignors toContainer Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Get. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 232,415 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-51)This invention relates to paperboard folding cartons. and moreparticularly to an improved tear strip arrangement for opening cartons.

The invention comprehends a tear strip arrangement including integraltuck tab means for reclosure of the carton after it has been initiallyopened by removal of the tear strip. This invention is especiallysuitable for use in folding cartons of the type employed for thepackaging of frozen foods, ice cream, and other commodities which may bedispensed piecemeal from their cartons, rather than all at one time.

Although tear strip arrangements per se are not new in the foldingcarton art, the tear strip arrangements available on folding cartons aredesigned primarily to facilitate opening of the carton, and do notinclude any provisions for reclosure of the cartons.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide, in afolding carton, a tear strip arrangement for opening the carton whichincludes a tuck tab device for maintaining thecarton in a closedcondition after it has 'once been opened.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in the cartonof the type described, of an integral tuck tab formed on the cover ofthe carton by the lines of tear which form the tear strip, so that uponremoval of the tear strip the tuck tab is exposed for use in reclosureof the carton.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from anexamination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carton having a reclosable tearstrip arrangement embodying features of the invention; 1

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1,with the cover shown folding back in the open position prior to gluing;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure illustrated inFIGURE 1, with a portion of the tear strip removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure illustrated inFIGURE 3, with a portion of the cover shown folded back 180 after theglued carton has been opened;

FIGURE 5 is view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the carton in areclosed position after it has been initially opened;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a blank from which the carton of thepreviously views may be formed;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a carton illustrating a modified formof the invention; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton of FIGURE 7may be formed.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elementshave been intentionally omitted from certain views where they arebelieved to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of theinvention, and particularly to FIGURES 1 through 6, it 'Will be seenthat the carton illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings may be formedfrom the unitary blank B of suitable sheet material such as foldablepaperboard illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

Blank B is cut and scored to provide a plurality of serially arrangedpanels hingedly interconnected to form a tubular structure. As best seenin FIGURE 6 these panels, viewing from left to right, are as follows:

First end wall panel 10, first or front side wall panel 12, second endwall panel 14, second or rear side wall panel 16, and connecting panel18. When the blank is folded to provide a tubular structure panels 10and 18 may be disposed in overlapped relation and secured to each otherin any desired manner, such as by means of an adhesive shown as appliedat 19 to panel 10 of the blank.

It will be understood that if the inner or outer surface of blank aretreated with a waterproofing material such as wax, it will be necessaryto provide uncoated surfaces in order for the adhesive employed toadhere to at least one such surface.

Closure of the bottom end of the carton may be accomplished 'by a pairof front and rear side wall bottom closure flaps 20 and 22,respectively, and a pair of end wall bottom closure flaps 24 which arefolded over on top of one another in the conventional manner of forminga seal end carton. Bottom closure flap 20 may be provided with adhesiveas at 26 to secure the bottom of the carton in closed condition.

Closure of the upper portion of the carton ,is likewise provided by aplurality of closure flaps which include front and rear side wall upperclosure flaps 30 and 32, respectively, and end wall upper closure flaps34. The upper closure flaps are hinged to the upper portions of the respective main panels of the carton in corresponding relation to thebottom closure flaps of the carton. Thus, the upper closure flaps formthe top wall of the carton.

As best seen in FIGURE 6 rear side wall upper closure flap 32, which isalso the outer closure flap or closure panel when the carton is closed,is divided into an inner or tuck section 36, an outer or retainingsection 38, and an intermediate or tear strip section 40 disposedbetween the inner and outer sections.

It will be seen that the tear strip section, or tear strip 40, is formedby a pair of spaced, generally parallel, inner and outer weakened linesof tear 42 and 44, respectively, which extend longitudinally acrossclosure panel 32.

Still referring to FIGURE 6 of the drawings it will be seen that innertear line 42 is provided with a central outwardly offset portion whichdefines a tuck tab 46 projecting outwardly between the inner and outertear lines.

Tuck tab 46 is adapted to be received within a tuck ta-b receiving slit48 formed in the upper inner closure flap 30 or top wall of the cartonupon reclosure of the carton in a manner described later in thespecification.

Closure of the upper end of the carton is accomplished by gluing theclosure flaps to each other in a method similar to the conventional sealend closure. Closure flap 30 is provided with adhesive which is appliedalong the elongated area 50 and the smaller spaced areas 52 and 54.Thus, when the end wall upper closure flaps 34 have been folded intoposition and the closure flap 30 folded down on top of the flaps 34, thecarton top wall is formed and closure panel 32 is folded over andadhesively secured to the outer surface of flap 30. It will be notedthat if the inside surface of closure panel 32 is wax coated it willstill adhere to the adhesive on flap 30, but may be pulled away from theflap to permit the complete opening of the upper end of the carton.

To facilitate grasping of tear strip 40, closure panel 32 may beprovided at one end thereof with a pair of notches 56 which define atear strip head 58, as best seen in FIGURE 6.

As previously mentioned the upper and lower ends of the carton may beclosed and sealed in the same manner as a conventional seal end carton.The last step in closing the upper end of the carton is the folding ofclosure panel 32 from the open position shown in FIG- URE 2 of thedrawings to the closed position shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

To open the carton, tea-r strip 40 is ripped off of the top of thecarton. Although tuck section 36 and retaining section 38 of closurepanel 32 may still adhere to the carton because of the waxed surfacethey may be easily separated from inner closure flap 30 to permit theend wall upper closure flaps to be opened.

Upon reclosure of the carton, the end wall upper closure flaps arefolded back to closed position shown in FIGURE 4 and tuck section 36,which is the only part remaining of closure panel 32, is folded overinto the closed position of FIGURE 5 with the tuck tab 46 being insertedin the tuck tab receiving slit 48 formed in inner closure flap 30.

Turning now to FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawings it will be seen that amodified form of the invention is shown illustrating the same basic tearstrip and reclosure feature illustrated in the previous views.

The carton illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the drawings may be formed fromthe unitary blank of foldable paperboard indicated generally at BB shownin FIGURE 8 of the drawings. 7

Blank BB may be cut and scored to provide a plurality of seriallyconnected main panels which, as viewed from left to right, include thefollowing:

Front wall panel 60, bottom wall panel 62, rear wall panel 64, top wallpanel 66, and closure panel 68.

Closure of the ends of the carton may be accomplished by a plurality ofclosure flaps hinged to the ends of the main panels of the carton. Theseclosure fiaps include flaps 70, 72, 74, and 76, which are hinge'dlyconnected to panels 60, 62, 64, and 66, respectively. a

As best seen in FIGURE 8, front wall end closure flaps 70 may beprovided with female locking slits 82 adapted to receive male lookingtabs 80 formed on'the ends of rear wall end closure flaps 74 to providea conventional interlocking end closure arrangement.

As best seen in FIGURE 7, closure panel 68, like closure panel 32 of theprevious embodiment, is divided into an inner or tuck section 136, anintermediate or tear strip section 140, and an outer or retainingsection 138.

When the carton is closed closure panel 68 is folded overlap a portionof front panel 60 of the carton, and retaining section 138 of theclosure panel is secured to front wall panel 60 of the carton by anadhesive as indicated at 78.

Tear strip 140 is similar in construction to tear strip 40 of theprevious embodiment, and is defined by a pair of inner and outerweakened lines of tear 142 and 144, respectively, which are disposed inspaced parallel relation and which extend longitudinally across closurepanel 68.

Inner tear line 142 is provided with a central offset portion to definea tuck tab 146 which is integral with the inner or tuck section 136 andwhich projects outwardly therefrom. Tuck tab 146 is adapted to bereceived within tuck tab receiving slit 148 formed in carton front wallpanel 60. This carton is preferably formed in tubular form withretaining section 138 of closure panel 68 glued to the front wall 60 ofthe carton to form a tubular structure open at the ends to permit endloading. After the carton has been loaded and the ends of the cartonhave been closed and interlocked as previously described, the carton maybe opened by removal of the tear strip in the same manner as theprevious carton. It will be understood, of course that the end closureflaps of the carton need not be interlocking, but that the novel tearstrip and reclosure feature can be applied to other types of cartonssuch as a seal end carton with a hinged cover or lid connected to therear wall of'the carton.

Upon removal of the tear strip it will be seen that tuck tab 146 isexposed and is adapted to be received within tuck tab receiving slit 148upon reclosure of the carton.

Thus, in each embodiment of the invention there is provided a tear striparrangement wherein the tear strip is defined by a pair of weakenedlines of tear which also form an integral tuck tab on a portion ofclosure panel, which tab is adapted to be re-inserted within acomplementary slit in the Wall of the carton upon reclosure.

It will also be noted that closure panel 68 could be formed with only atuck section and a retaining section separated by a single line of tear,such as a tear string, which has an offset portion defining a tuck tab.

An unlined; end-loading, top-opening, reclosable carton formed from aunitary blank of foldable paperboard, comprising in combination:

(a) a bottom wall;

(b) front and rear side Walls hinged to and upstanding from front andrear edges of said bottom wall;

(0) a pair of opposed end wall-s each including end closure flaps hingedto the bottom and side walls and secured in overlapped relation;

(d) a top wall hinged at its rear edge to an upper edge of said rearside wall;

(e) a pair of end closure panels hinged to and depending from oppositeend edges of said top wall for engagement with respective end walls;

(f) a front closure panel hinged to and depending from a front edge ofsaid top Wall and disposed to overlie at least a portion of said frontside Wall, and including:

(i) an upper tuck section disposed adjacent an upper hinged edge of saidfront closure panel;

(ii) a lower retaining section disposed adjacent a lower free edge ofsaid front closure panel;

(iii) an intermediate section disposed between and contiguous to saidtuck and retaining sections;

(iv) each of said sections extending substantially the entire length ofsaid front closure panel;

(v) said intermediate section comprising a removable tear strip formedby a pair of spaced, first and second weakened lines of tear extendingsubstantially the entire length of said front closure panel adjacent thetuck and retaining sections, respectively, of said front closure panel;

(vi) said retaining section being adhesively secured to said front sidewall;

(vii) said first weakened line of tear having a medial portion offsettoward said second weakened line of tear to form a tuck tab disposed toproject from the free edge of said tuck section, after the tear st-riphas been removed, for insertion, upon reclosure of carton, into a tuckreceiving opening formed in said front side wall under said removabletear strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,234,483 7/1917Luke 229-51 X 1,985,590 12/1934 Weiss 229-51 X 2,267,320 12/1941 Berch229-51 2,354,543 7/ 1944 Ratclifi 229-51 X 2,864,547 12/ 1958 Guyer229-51 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

Examiners.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner.

Disclaimer 3,263,899.P0fier 0. 0011mm, Valthznn, and Robert M. Hurley,Lexington, Mass., and Morton H. Robin-Wm, Devon, P21. CARTON '1 EARSTRIP ARRANGEMENT WITH RECLOSURE FEATURE. Patent dated Aug. 2, 1966.Disclaimer filed June 7, 1968, by the asslgnee, Container Oorpomtion 0America. Hereby enters this disclaimer t0 the single claim of saidpatent.

[Ofliciul Gazette August 27, 1968.]

